Three ways to trim your wedding budget

Weddings, aside from home and car purchases, are usually one of the most expensive undertakings for a couple. In 2012, the average amount spent on a wedding was $28,427. To me, that amount is staggering! Our wedding cost a small fraction of that and was still (in my opinion) a very nice wedding. I had everything I wanted in a wedding. I realized, though, that we cut what we didn't feel was necessary. If you'd like to trim your wedding budget, consider one or more of these tips.

Keep it small

Some people have a difficult time deciding who to invite to a wedding. This indecisiveness can lead to way too many attendees. Do you really need to invite your boss's daughter to the wedding? How about your hair dresser, your mailman, or your third cousin twice-removed (what does that even mean anyway)? If you haven't seen or spoken in some form to a person in years, it's probably safe to say that you can skip inviting them to your wedding. Remember, the more people you invite, you'll need a larger venue, more seating, more food and more favors.

Design your own arrangements

Designing your own bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces is easier than you think. YouTube made it a cinch for me, and I'm not even very crafty or creative. It is easily done with both fake and fresh flowers. Just remember that if you're using real flowers, you'll need to wait until the day before to make your arrangements. That may be a little stressful to deal with on what is already a hectic day.

Get one invitation designed

I have an undying love for Etsy.com. I've used several different sellers to design digital invitations and I've loved them all. For $15-$20 each, you can have an invitation and RSVP card designed for which you'll receive the digital files. You can then have them printed wherever you like. After they're printed, you can embellish them with ribbon, vellum paper or whatever you'd like. Envelopes for invitations and RSVP cards can be purchased at most stationary and office supply stores.

Are you planning a wedding? What will you do to stay within budget?

Photo courtesy of author.